Review

Lotus Exige S roadster: Car of the week

Lotus sold a miserable 137 new cars last year, according to figures compiled
by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Was this dribble of
barely more than 2½ cars a week linked to the fact that 2012 was the UK’s
second wettest on record? Or a sign that British-built niche sports cars
have had their day? The success or otherwise of the new Exige S roadster
could provide Lotus with an uncomfortable answer. Lotus has confirmed the
new model will go on sale this summer. Based on the Exige S coupé, Lotus’s
high-performance flagship, it is likely to cost more than £50,000 — not
cheap in an increasingly competitive market. The price puts it nose to nose
with the Porsche Boxster S, the acclaimed two-seat roadster that costs from
£45,384.

Sports car aficionados could be swayed by the Lotus’s get-up-and-go, though.
Its supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine kicks out 346bhp, and